Just An Afterthought
by Taladarkiejj
Summary: This is what I think could've happened between Ares & Gabrielle in 'Old Ares Had A Farm'. Rewrite of some scenes from that particular episode. A short G/A one.


Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, though I wish Ares was mine. :D

**Just An Afterthought**

After the showdown on Mount Olympus Ares was left mortal. To everyone's surprise he had given up his powers to save the lives of three mortal women. He no longer was the once fearsome and powerful God of War.

Word had spread of Ares being mortal, resulting in the fact that every Warlord in Greece was out to kill him. Xena and Gabrielle decided to help Ares as they owed their lives to him. Xena offered her old farmhouse, making it Ares' new home. It was the start of his life as a farmer. At first he had been skeptical but after awhile he seemed to warm up to the idea, especially when he met his overfriendly woman neighbour Greba.

They were busy cleaning up the old house when Xena decided to go have a talk with Gasgar, one of the Warlords who was looking for Ares, leaving the two of them alone. Gabrielle wanted to clear out the fireplace, and though Ares hated doing any form of physical labor he briefly helped remove some heavy material. Soon a small fire lit up the main room, casting a glow on Ares and Gabrielle who silently sat in front of the fireplace, both lost in their own thoughts, patiently waiting for the Warrior Princess to return.

Gabrielle enjoyed being around the mortal Ares. He still had that same sense of humor. He could always make her laugh, just like that time when he had lost his powers because of that stupid enchanted scroll. Ares on the other hand didn't like the idea of staying mortal for the rest of his life. It had been fun the last time because he knew his Godhood would be restored eventually.

"Ares?" Gabrielle asked, ending their silence. It was making her slightly uncomfortable.

Ares had been staring at the fire. He slowly lifted his head to look at her. "What?" He asked, sounding less than pleased with the interruption.

Gabrielle noticed that the glow from the fire made him look more like the God he used to be. She couldn't deny it, he was very handsome and attractive. She certainly understood how a woman could fall for him. Easy on the eyes was an understatement. She felt herself blushing at the admission and just hoped that the flickering firelight would hide her flushed cheeks. He cocked his head, a smug smile lingering on his lips as if he knew what she had been thinking.

"I..uhm..I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I know that giving up your Godhood must have been a huge sacrifice." She tried to keep her voice as steady as possible.

Ares leaned back in his chair and stared at the blonde woman in front of him. He had always thought of her as an obstacle, someone who kept Xena away from him, but he had also watched Gabrielle change from a young insecure girl into a strong, beautiful woman and competent warrior. He wouldn't have offered her Xena's succession if he thought she wouldn't be any good to him. Of course the main reason was to lure Xena over to his side but if he had gotten Gabrielle instead, he wouldn't have minded. He had develloped an interest in the peace loving Bard.

"If Xena lost her power to kill the Gods than Athena would have killed her, so I saved Eve in order to save Xena.. You were just an afterthought." He stated flatly. It wasn't entirely the truth, he knew that, but he didn't feel like telling everything.

A part of him truly liked Gabrielle, but she was just so.. good. Perhaps even too good. Almost to the point of scary. Besides Xena would have been devastated if she had lost her best friend. He was sure it would have destroyed her in the end.

Gabrielle chuckled softly. "Well.. thanks anyway.." Somehow she wasn't surprised by Ares' answer. Why would he save her beyond any selfish reason? Why would it be any different now? Xena was all that mattered to him. It would always be that way. He probably still found her _annoying_.

She felt a pang in her heart at the thought. Could she be having feelings for Ares? Someone who had caused her enough grief to last an entire lifetime? Impossible.. It sent her reeling and she nearly lost her balance but soon found herself being held by two strong arms.

"Gabrielle! You alright?" Ares sounded more concerned than she could have ever imagined.

She looked up into his handsome face and smiled. "Yes, it's just.. I..I guess i'm more tired than I first thought. It's been a long day." He nodded and sat back in his chair, just as the door swung open and Xena walked in.

_Later that night the three of them shared a bed because it was the only one in the house. Ares lay in the middle with Xena on his right and Gabrielle on his left. They were sound asleep, but Ares was wide awake._

He looked over at Xena who had given him the cold shoulder from the beginning. The former God of War sighed. Here he was, laying in bed with two beautiful women and he couldn't get anything out of it. This was not the way he had pictured it to be. He felt Gabrielle shift and snuggle up to him. Her arm rested across his abdomen and her head was nestled next to his shoulder. He lifted his head to look at her. She was sleeping peacefully. A smile came to his lips. He didn't want to wake her up so he decided not to move, and if he was completely honest with himself, he liked the physical contact, not just because it was a woman but more importantly because it was Gabrielle. He laid a hand on her shoulder and gently caressed it. He once more closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep.

Gabrielle woke up and found herself cuddled up next to a very muscular body. Her first thought was to back away but then she remembered she was sleeping in the same bed as Xena and Ares. She slowly looked up to find Ares sleeping, or at least she thought he was sleeping until he opened his eyes and looked back at her. He gave her a surprisingly warm smile. As soon as she realised what position she was in she couldn't stop herself from turning red. She was sleeping in Ares' arms.. ARES of all people!

He was sure Gabrielle would have freaked out for being so close to him but instead she blushed a nice shade of red. He kept looking at her, her face.. her lips.. only mere inches away. _Okay, Ares, stop right there! This is still Gabrielle, the annoying little sidekick.. Xena's the one you really want, remember..?_ a little voice inside pointed out. Then WHY did he want to kiss her? Because he saw alot more in her than he was willing to admit. And would he ever get another shot at being this close to her? He didn't think so. Ares slowly lowered his head to hers. He saw her eyes widening in surprise but she didn't make a move to stop him. Their lips met in a gentle caress, barely touching one another. He carefully shifted onto his side, trying not to awake Xena, and pulled her closer. He deepened the kiss when she parted her lips, locking them in a passionate embrace.

Gabrielle could not believe she was kissing ARES! Her mind screamed for her to stop, but her heart told her otherwise. Believe it or not but she cared for this man. She ran her fingers through his dark, greying hair. Ares' tongue battling her own made her lose all sense of reality! If he could make her feel like this when he was just a mortal, she didn't dare to think what it would be like if he was still a God. She wondered how Xena had been able to resist him all these years. She moaned softly at the intensity of his kiss. A kiss full of lust and passion.

They slowly broke apart, both breathing a bit faster.

Ares stared at her pondering what to do next. Gabrielle was no Xena, yet she was special in her own way and he admired her greatly. Gabrielle felt a deep sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she remembered the conversation she earlier had with Ares.

He leaned in again but this time she stopped him. "Don't." Gabrielle whispered. "Just an afterthought right?" She added, turning her back on him. She was not going to be some substitute for Xena.

Ares realised that maybe Gabrielle had been in denial of her own feelings for him. They have had numerous encounters over the years, mostly when he was still the God of War, but also when he was mortal. They had gotten along fine. As a God he acted different, ruthless, without emotion but as a mere mortal he didn't have the same problems with expressing his feelings. It made him softer or "weaker" as he called it. He knew that if he ever returned to being a God he would never be able to admit his feelings to the little Bard. His ego would always get in the way. Maybe now was the time to come clean. If she returned the feeling than it wasn't a lost cause after all. Maybe he really had to let go of Xena. Ares made up his mind. He snaked an arm around Gabrielle's waist and pulled her to his chest. She struggled but not so much as to wake up the sleeping brunette. That would definitely ruin everything, for Xena was very protective of her friend.

Gabrielle was backed up against Ares' well muscled chest, a strong arm across her belly held her in place. His hot breath tickled her ear and her heart skipt a beat when he breathed "Maybe I lied."

**End.**

R&R :)


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